


Presenting A Challenge

by taichara



Category: Rockman | Mega Man Classic
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-01
Updated: 2016-01-01
Packaged: 2018-05-10 22:11:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5602831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taichara/pseuds/taichara
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Blues really does know what buttons to push for maximum gift -- and entertainment -- value.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Presenting A Challenge

**Author's Note:**

> originally written for ProvokedMango @ dA for Robot Rumpus 2015 ~

High atop one of Monsteropolis' gleaming towers ... a conversation was being had.  

A very _loud_ conversation.  

More of an argument, really --

"You're crazy, old man.  I'm not gonna do it."

'Crazy' didn't even feel like strong enough a word for what Forte was thinking right that second.  More like 'You are finally terminally glitching and I should put you out of my misery just for suggesting something that stupid'.  Glowering under the lip of his helmet's crest at the smirking Blues (and didn't he want to just put an eight-way shooter through that knowing face right now, gawd), he crossed his arms and snorted, echoed by Gospel's _whrrf_ of annoyance.

"It's not happening --"

Blues smirked wider, hitching a shrug.

"What, you don't want to show up Rock at his own game?  He'd never expect you to do it, even _try_ to do it, and that gives you the element of surprise.  Besides ..."

Suddenly the smirk turned weirdly bitter, for just a flicker; Forte was taken aback by the change in the old wreck's attitude but kept his surprise firmly locked behind his usual bluster, and by the time he'd mustered a suitably scathing retort Blues looked as inscutably, blandly amiable as ever.  Like it never happened.  

_What the hell, old man ..._

"Forte, are you listening or did your audio short out?  Isn't that my job, anyway?"

With the air of someone showing infinite patience, Blues snapped his fingers at Forte's face -- but not _too_ close -- and began a slow pace around he and Gospel both, chuckling.

"What I said was, that if you agree, and you pull it off, you'll also annoy the life out of Wily.  Are you really going to tell me that you wouldn't get a charge out of that?"

... Okay, that was tempting.  More than tempting, really, but Forte wasn't about to tell Blues that straight out.  He ignored Gospel's disgusted snort and fixed his attention somewhere juuuust above Blues' line of sight.

"Yeah.  Yeah, I guess that'd make things a _little_ worth my time, old man --"

\-- he ignored Blues' bark of laughter --

"-- but what am I getting out of this?  Looks like me and Gospel are just getting set up to me your entertainment, and I should kick you from one end of the city to the other for that."

"Seriously?  Have you even been listening?  You aggravate Wily in a way he can't complain about and never thought to give a command agains -- _and_ you can claim to be doing pre-emptive recon if he compains -- you score against Rock in a way he'll never expect, and you _win_.

"And you're going to win, because I have everything ready to go, and I know where Rock's going to be and when."

Hard to argue against that, at least, and the wild entertainment value of just doing something as madcap as Blues was suggesting was starting to appeal to Forte's anarchic streak, it was true ...  But there was just _one_ last little detail.  Forte's eyes narrowed into slits.

"So why isn't it _you_ pulling this off?"

"Because I don't have Gospel."  

-*-

Several hours -- and a good deal of detailing work with temporary enamel, washable paints and faux fur (among other bits and snips) later -- and Blues was beside himself with glee.  

Humming aimlessly, he finished cleanup detail -- tucking a softly chiming sleighbell in a fold of his scarf for Tango -- and primed his locator to teleport him to the optimal perch along Main Street to watch the show.

This was going to be _amazing_.

_Merry Christmas, Rock ~_

-*-

Evening was turning quickly into night, and it was soon going to be time to go.  

From where Rock stood on the float's small platform, surrounded by holly and fake snow, it looked like the entire city had turned into a sea of people swarming in a rainbow of lights.  Nervously he adjusted the Santa hat that snugged down over his helmet (ignoring Roll's glance of long-suffering patience) and surreptitiously gave Rush a quick pat on the head, for his benefit more than his dog's.

Parades were fun!  But the waiting part; _that_ wasn't fun at all.  More like feeling like his internals were trying to spark themselves silly and tangle up in knots, besides.

_It's worth it when I see everyone, though._

_Even if it's kind of a little embarrassing when they cheer ... I'm just trying to help everyone ..._

He fidgeted, and Roll shot him another look as the float displays shifted just a bit.  Rock shrugged; it was just the 'snow', and it was _supposed_ to be able to wiggle and drift some ...

A brief flash of light, down the Street on the news tower, caught his attention.  His analysis suite identified it as energy spillover from a teleport signal -- the amount of the spillover and the signature told him it was Blues.  That made him feel happy and a little depressed all at once; happy that Blues was there to see him, depressed that he was hiding, more depressed at the reminder of the energy leak --

A second teleport flash wiped all thought of Blues.  It was right in front of the float, it was high-powered and of pinpoint precision ... and it had Forte's signature.

_Not now!  Come on, it's the Christmas Parade \--_

_... !!!_

It was Forte, alright.

Forte, his armour picked out in red and green and white, trimmed in white faux fur, a bulging sack of ... something slung over one shoulder, was calmly perched astride Gospel.  Gospel, whose mane was _covered_ in the white fluff, antlers bolted between his ears, a carillion of bells jingling from his red velvet harness with every step he took.

Without a word of explanation, the duo took up a start position in front of the float as the assembling crowds gasped and roared with glee.  Rock blinked, fumbling for some kind of explanation, and came up with not a one --

Craning his head over his shoulder, Forte grinned at him wickedly.

"I guess they like me, huh?

"Merry Christmas, runt.  I'll get you next year."


End file.
